We are a committee of students who work to make our campus more sustainable.
What does the SSA Sustainability Council do?
- Work with the Sustainability Office to promote and implement sustainability projects on campus
- Manage allocations and projects from the Green Fee, a segregated fee for implementing sustainability-related projects on campus
- Plan events for Campus Sustainability Day, Earth Week, and other times of the year
- Work with campus departments to infuse sustainability into their operations and processes
Any UW-Stout student can join this committee. It is chaired by Trent Charpentier, SSA's Sustainability Director. Vice Chair is Bergen Haag, SSA Senator. Advisor is Kadi Wright, UW-Stout's Sustainability Manager.
Green Fee Projects
Since 2014, the SSA Sustainability Council has allocated funds toward a number of sustainability projects. Check out some of these projects below.
Renewable Energy
SSA began with a 10.8 kW solar PV pilot project (32 solar panels) at Merle Price Commons and has continually added on to this project. Altogether, they've allocated just over $200,000 toward solar panels. These panels help to reduce electricity costs for this student-funded building, thereby saving money for students and reducing emissions.
Bike Shelter
SSA funded a bike shelter located near the Robert Swanson Library. This shelter is for students to park their bike during inclement weather.
LED Lighting
SSA has funded and co-funded a number of LED lighting projects to make our buildings more energy efficient. These include complete retrofits of Wigen Hall and Antrim-Froggatt Halls, retrofit of the 2nd floor of Merle Price Commons, and retrofit of the MSC Ballrooms.
StoutBikes Bike Rentals
SSA allocated funds for a new bike rental program for students, for new bicycles, helmets, safety lights, and locks. Students can rent an outfitted bike for a small fee from Stout Adventures and the funds generated from the program go back to SSA's transportation funds.
Waste Collection Stations
SSA has funded or co-funded compost and recycling bins for a number of locations on campus including Sports & Fitness Center, Sorensen Hall, Heritage Hall, and in outdoor locations.
MSC's Sustainability Wall
SSA funded the sustainability wall in the Memorial Student Center, to educate students, faculty, staff, and campus visitors on what UW-Stout is doing to be more sustainable and what others can do to live a more environmentally friendly life.
Foamstream Weed Mitigation Machine
SSA co-funded a weed mitigation machine that uses high temperature steam and non-toxic ingredients like coconut oil and beet juice to kill weeds on our campus grounds. This has replaced the use of glyphosate by our Grounds Department.